December 23, 2024

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Szulczewski Pens Opinion Piece in ‘The Free Lance-Star’

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Associate Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Melanie Szulczewski

Associate Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Melanie Szulczewski

Associate Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Melanie Szulczewski wrote a comment piece for The Free Lance-Star entitled “Orange officials must heed science, safety before signing off on Wilderness Crossing.” The article was published in advance of an Orange County Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Wilderness Crossing development on 2,600 acres of land where a number of unreclaimed mining sites remain, leftover from Virginia’s gold mining era, during the 1800s through the 1930s. Read the article.

Szulczewski also receive – along with UMW colleagues Associate Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds, Professor of Sociology Kristin Marsh, University Health Center Director Dr. Nancy Wang – participated in a panel discussion following a free showing of My So-Called Selfish Life, a documentary that examines reproductive rights and the choice to be childfree, hosted by the University of Mary Washington and the Center for Biological Diversity. Read more in a Free Lance-Star article.

Honors Students Explore Washington, D.C. Architecture

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group of students posed in front of Union Station.

Honors scholars in front of Union Station during the fall 14 field trip.

In August, incoming UMW Honors Scholars participated in a common reading experience, reading the book “The Devil in the White City” by Eric Larson. To expand on the theme of the planning and architecture of the Chicago’s World’s Fair, Andrea Smith, Department of Historic Preservation, led the fall field for the honors program on Saturday Oct. 4. Twenty six honors students, Professor of Economics Steve Greenlaw, Professor of Chemistry Kelli Slunt, and Assistant Professor of Environmental Science Melanie Szulczewski enjoyed learning about the urban planning and contributions of Daniel Burnham (one of the main characters in “The Devil in the White City”) while exploring Union Station, The National Mall, and the National Building Museum.

UMW Eco Rep Starts Petition to Expand VRE Service

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Max Devilliers, a UMW senior and an Eco Rep in the UMW Sustainability Office, has written a petition to request Virginia’s commuter train, the VRE, to offer weekend and counter rush hour service. It is posted it to the website MoveOn and has already received 50 signatures.

Scarce parking, expensive parking lots, high gas prices, and congestion on Interstate 95 are multiple reasons to avoid driving and instead encourage us to take the train. Currently, however, the VRE does not offer weekend or offpeak train service.

Many faculty and staff could benefit from additional VRE train service, whether for commuting, going to meetings in D.C., or attending special events there.

If you would like to support this petition to VRE, you can sign it here.

Melanie Szulczewki Presents at ACS National Meeting

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Melanie Szulczewski, assistant professor of environmental science, presented “Examination of the Diverse Environmental Impacts of Long-Term Acid Mine Drainage on a Virginia Stream Ecosystem” in the environmental chemistry division at the 244th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society. The national meeting was held in Philadelphia, Penn., August 19 to 23.